Cornstalk lifting device



Sept. 21, 1948.

Filed Aug. 50, 1944 HAMMON 2,449,603

CORNSTALK LIFTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B; 2mm

Inventor Sept. 21, 1948.- L. HAMMON 2,449,603

CORNSTALK LIF'IING DEVICE Fiied Aug. 50, 1944 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2:

Inventor Patented Sept. 21, 1948 TLTJUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,449,603 c v e coRNsrAnnLIF'rING DEVICE,

Lester Harnrnon, Poplar Bluff, Mo. 1 Application August-'30, 1944, Serial No. 551,885 I This invention r'elates toa device for lifting fallen or leaningsltalks of corn in the field so as to position the same in a substantially upright position for. proper, passage to a corn husker.

. More particularlmthe present invention relates to a device of the above kind that may be readily attached to a tractor and that is simple in construction efiicient in; operation, and otherwise adapted to meet with the requirements for a successful commercial use. a I

The exact nature of the present invention, as

Well asother objects and features thereof, will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection withlthe accompanyingdrawings. The invention consists in the novel form, combinatiouand arrangement of p rts hereinafter more fully described, shown inthe drawings and claimed. f,

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the views: i Figure '1 is a side elevational View, partly broken away, of a tractor equipped with a corn stalk lifting device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the attachment per se, partly broken away.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse section taken substantially on line 3-4 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates an elongated bracket preferably formed of wire and provided at one end with an eye 6 for reception of a stud bolt by means of which the bracket may be rigidly fastened to the frame 1 of a tractor A at one side of and near the forward end of the latter. The bracket 5 is of a form to extend forwardly and downwardly from the point of attachment to the frame I, and. it termintes in its forward lower end with a lateral horizontal spindle '8 upon which is journaled for vertical rocking movement a nose member 9. This nose member preferably consists of a single length of wire return bent intermediate its ends to provide a forward nose portion Ill adapted to ride over inequalities of the ground, one leg of the return bent wire member being coiled to pivotally receive the spindle 8, as at I I, and then terminating in a rearwardly extending arm of angular form, as at I2, whose free end portion is directed laterally, as at [3, toward the bracket 5. The terminal portion l3 of arm I2 is con nected with another part of the device by a helical tension spring I4 so that the nose member 9 is yieldingly rocked in a direction to engage its nose portion I with the ground in front of the spindle 8. I

2 Claims. (01. 55-119) The attachment further includes. a pair, of elongated rods I5, whose forward ends are se-' cured by clamps IS in spaced relation and to the bracket inwardly of the nose member 9, In: termediate their ends, the rods I5 are connected and maintainedin spaced relation by a, U-shaped bracket I1, and it willbelnoted thatth'e ends of this bracket are formed withpyts I8 through which the rods I5 extend. .Al so, therods -I5 eXf tend rearwardly from the bracket 5 in slightly I rearwardly diverging relation, and the l per arm of :bracket I1 is shorter .than the'lower arm so as to position the upperone of the rods lj 5slightly inwardly of the lower one offsaid rods I5, shown in Figure 3. :Thefree rear ends of rods I5 preferably are curved in an outward direction to a slight extent, as indicated at I9: TIn-order to maintain the rods in a rearwardly and upwardly inclined position,the bracket I1 is also connected to the adjacent side member of {the tractor'frame I. For this purpose, a rod is rigidly secured, as at 2|, to the intermediatepor tion of bracket I? at one end and is adapted to have its other end inserted in an opening provided at 22 in the tractor frame 1. A cotter pin 23, or the like, is passed through the rod 20 to limit the distance that the adjacent end of rod 20 may pass inwardly through the opening at 22, thereby holding the bracket IT a proper distance from the side of the tractor, so that the I rear portions of the rods I5 are disposed adjacent but outwardly of the adjacent rear wheel of the tractor. Another bracket 24 is fastened at one end to the bracket I1 and has an eye 25 at its other end to facilitate bolting of the latter end to the tractor frame I at a point rearwardly of bracket IT, as indicated in Figure 1. It will be evident that the attachment may be readily applied to a tractor by simply drilling three small holes in the tractor frame 'I at one sideof the tractor to receive the bolts for brackets 5 and 24 and an end of the rod 20.

In use, a corn husker usually travels along directly behind the tractor and is drawn by the latter. The nose member 9 engages under fallen or leaning stalks of corn, transversely of and at a considerable distance from the point where the stalks enter the ground, so as to raise the latter and as the tractor moves ahead, these lifted stalks of corn are maintained in a substantially upright position by the rods I5. Continued forward travel of the tractor results in the stalks of corn finally passing to the outwardly curved rear ends I9 of rods I5 so as to cause the stalks of corn to be disition to be received by the corn husker.

It will be evident from the above that I have provided a very simple and efiicient attachment for tractors for the intended purpose. It will be further evident that the attachment may be economically manufactured and readily installed. Minor changes in details of construction are contemplated, such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. A second lateral end portion |3a similar to the end portion l 3 is attached to the arm I; of nose member 9, and it extends in a direction opposite that in which the end portion I3 extends. By reversing the brackets, and attaching spring M to end portion I 3a instead of to end portion l3, the device may be mounted at the other side of the tractor.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a tractor, a device for lifting fallen or leaning stalks of corn in the field and delivering the same to a corn husker in a substantially upright position, said device comprising a substantially upright elongate-d bracket, means attaching the upper end of said bracket to one side of the tractor frame near the front of the latter, said bracket being provided at its lower end with a transverse horizontal spindle, a nose member pivotedfor rocking movement on said spindle, said nose member being normally yieldingly tilted in a direction to engage its forward end portion with the ground, a pair of spaced elongated rods, means securing the forward ends of the rods to said bracket above said spindle, means connecting the rods intermediate their ends to maintain them in spaced relation, and means attached to said connecting means and secured to said side of the tractor'frame rearwardly of the bracket to support the rods in rearwardly and upwardly 1nclined positiomsaid rods extending to a point adjacent the rear end of the tractor.

2 As a tractor attachment, a device for lifting fallen or leaning stalks of corn in the field and delivering the same to a corn husker in a, substantially upright position, comprising a, substantially upright elongated bracket having means to facilitate attachment of the same at its upper end to one side of a tractor frame near the front of the latter, said bracket being provided at the lower end with a transverse horizontal spindle, a nose member pivoted for rocking movement on said spindle, said nose member being normally yieldingly tilted in a direction to engage its forward end portion with the ground, a pair of spaced elongated rods, means securing theforward ends of the rods to said bracket above said spindle, means connecting the rods intermediate their ends to maintain them in spaced relation, means attached to said connecting means and adapted for attachment to said side of the tractor frame rearwardly of the bracket to support the rods in rearwardly and upwardly inclined position, said rods being of a length to extend to a point adjacent the rear end of the tractor, said nose member comprising a single return-bent length of wire having one leg formed with a coil rotatably secured on the spindle and shaped at its rear end to provide an angular arm, and a tension spring connecting said arm to the bracket for, normally yieldingly tilting the nose member in the direction to engage its forward end portion with the ground.

LE R H MM N- REFERENQES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 446,894 Schuett Feb. 24, 18.91 1,344,761 Hahn June 29, 1920 1,706,641 Warren Mar. 26, 1929 1,707,992 Pavlicek Apr. 9, 1929 2,203,418 Mills June 4 1940 2,261,118 Kanehl s Nov. 4, 1941 

